Immortal Undeath
by Persiana13
Summary: Ninth Story in the Persiana-verse, takes place in the DC section. One of Batman's old enemies makes a deal with a dark force for immortality. But, at what price is immortality if one must die to obtain it?
1. Chapter 1

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Bast, and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 1: Mutual Agreement 

Daken was the former Dark Avenger Wolverine. His father was the original Wolverine, and, though Daken had claws grafted like his father, and a healing factor, the two could not be more different. Daken was a murderer and a manipulator, playing to people like a musician plays his instrument. He did this by secreting special pheromones that the mohawk-styled warrior had discovered, and it helped in his manipulations of people. Of course, he did enjoy a good kill every now and again, but Daken was a total sadist, enjoying the pain of someone's last precious seconds of life as it left their body. Ever since that time eighteen months ago, where he successfully evaded capture by this world's law enforcement agency Checkmate, Daken had been take in by the mysterious, and, in theory, immortal Ra's al-Ghul.

Ra's al-Ghul was also known as 'The Demon's Head'. He was hundreds of years old, being kept alive by numerous pits of primordial energy called Lazarus Pits. Often, after bathing in one of them, Ra's would go mad and strike at everyone around him. However, Talia was able to calm him down and manage to regain his senses. He knows leads a group called the League of Assassins, a highly trained group of martial artists that take any job for the right price. However, very few knew of Ra's real plan, which can be summed up best as ecological terrorism. Ra's was determined to return the Earth to what it was, before all this technology 'corrupted' it.

A frequent foe of Batman, and one of only a few people outside the Justice League that knew of the secret identity of the Dark Knight, Ra's has perplexed Batman many a time, and has admitted, that Batman is just as shrewd a player in the game as he was. It was the discovery of Batman's love for Talia that Ra's could truly capitalize on an opportunity. Instructing Talia to carry the detective's child, Ra's would be able to raise an heir to the League of Assassins that possessed the cunning and possible prodigious fighting techniques of Batman, and trained to be the most lethal assassin and leader of a new generation of assassins.

And time was of the essence. Ra's knew Batman was sealing pits left and right to try and stop Ra's al-Ghul, and that was when he heard about the other realities. After the battle in Metropolis, where heroes and villains Ra's had never heard of collided in an epic battle, he saw Daken and managed to capture him. A deadly assassin and a cunning fighter, Ra's could use Daken to his advantage. Taking him in and training him, Daken surpassed even the supreme assassin Lady Shiva. Lady Shiva was one of the premiere fighters, specializing in many forgotten forms of martial arts and was believed to be able to defeat Batman.

Alas, that would never come, for, as soon as she had finished training Daken, the mutant warrior used the special Muramase blade that had been grafted into his claw and decapitate Lady Shiva in her sleep. Ra's was a bit surprised at that, but, nonetheless, it was a true demonstration of just how effective a killer Daken was now.

Ra's was in a tent in the middle of the Sahara desert, and was busy deciphering a scroll. He had studied Daken and realized that Daken's healing factor could be a key to immortality. And, so was this scroll that the leader of the League of Assassins was researching.

Reportedly, it was a process, a story of some sort, that this chest contained an undead darkness. The chest was large, almost like a coffin, and it had several curious symbols. The coffin had been excavated and was sitting one of the other tents. The symbols, which Ra's was translating, were that of the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra. For whatever reason, it was placed over lid of the chest, as if to keep some terrible evil from escaping. There were also seals of Bast, the goddess of protection, around it. Ra's looked further down the scroll. As he did, a creeping darkness came over the camp.

Daken entered at that moment, but the ubu, Ra's personal bodyguard, blocked entry. Ra's, not looking up, signaled,

"It is all right. He may pass."

The ubu stepped aside, but cast a glare at the smug Daken. Daken stepped on by and said,

"You wanted to see me?"

Ra's nodded,

"Yes. I understand my grandson has already begun training."

Daken gruffed,

"Yeah, the kid may be a pint sized runt now, but he's gettin' the best. But, I take it this ain't about the brat."

The eco-terrorist shook his head in disgust and said,

"I must ask something of you. You're ability to heal from your wounds; is it possible to transfer that into others?"

Daken was a bit surprised at the question, but said,

"Possible, yeah. If you want to mess with kid's gene pattern. But, why-?"

Suddenly, the feral mutant sniffed the air and popped his claws,

"Somethin's here, and it ain't pretty."

The ubu was then suddenly snatched from the tent and, in moments, blood-curdling screams could be heard throughout the camp. Daken and Ra's rushed out to find what had happened, but a sinister looking figure, draped in black, smiled,

"I thought I smelled fresh blood around here."

Daken grinned evilly,

"And you're about to smell adamantium."

He charged in and tried to stab the mysterious figure. However, at the last second, the figure whirled around Daken and bit into his neck with his fangs. Daken was instantly taken down.

Ra's looked on in surprise and the mysterious figure rushed to him in blinding speed. Ra's said,

"You are from the scroll, aren't you?"

The mysterious figure pulled off his cowl and revealed a pale man with white fangs. He smiled hungrily,

"Yes. The one that was supposed to have been sealed for all time, the one whose coffin you tried to ascertain the location of and excavated for your own purposes?"

He bowed,

"Yes, I am he. I am…Crucifer."

Next Chapter:

Tensions reach a boiling point between Crisis and the Justice League. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	2. Chapter 2

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own my OCs. _

Chapter 2: Catching Up 

Leon was walking through the halls of the new Howling Commando base. He had just finished talking with Talia, the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, head of the League of Assassins. The red-eyed swordsman was personally disgusted with the arrangement, but, Fury made him agree to it. It was Fury that had the arrangement. Crisis knew it was not the greatest of plans, that Fury was making him take this deal as a hard lesson in the seedy underbelly of counter-intelligence and surveillance.

The precognitive powerhouse then looked up and saw Guy Gardner, the red-headed Green Lantern, with his arms folded and a sneer across his face. Leon stopped and, looking out of his peripherals, saw Big Barda, a former member of the Furies, behind him. She was clutching a rod-like weapon and was in full body armor.

The red-eyed young man took his glasses off, trying to be calm,

"Is there something I can help you with?"

Guy cracked his knuckles,

"Yeah, I still owe you a beating, you yellow-ringed freak."

Leon looked at him evenly,

"I think it's more than that, Gardner."

Barda snarled,

"Many innocent people died when you stole those weapons."

Crisis looked back,

"That wasn't my call. It was Fury's. Besides, I had my reasons for doing what I did."

Just then, Guy charged up his ring and unleashed a blast of emerald energy. Leon turned and was leveled fast on the floor. He slid by Barda, but the powerhouse stood up and wiped his mouth. Guy smirked,

"That's only the start of what I can do, jackass."

The member of the Howling Commandos smirked,

"Well, then; let me show you what I can really do."

**Meanwhile… **

Farrah Willows, the white-haired feline heroine Persiana, was in a nursery of sorts, taking care of her babies. She was busy calming one down,

"It's OK. I'm here now."

The baby, this one covered in thin fur, had red, cat-like eyes and a wispy tail. There were already little fangs coming out of her mouth. She seemed to like the attention.

Greer Nelson, the heroine Tigra, peered around the corner and silently stared inside. She looked at her adopted sister and smiled. Farrah would be a great mother, and the children seemed to adore her.

Farrah looked up, almost as if she heard something. She sniffed and said,

"Greer, is that you?"

Greer called from behind the wall,

"I didn't want to bother you."  
The striped heroine came around and said,

"The last time I heard, you were still carrying."

Persiana laughed,

"Yeah, and I swore up and down I'd get back at Leon for this. But, they're Lance's children."  
Greer looked into the crib and saw another baby, this one also covered in white fur as well. The former cop asked,

"Have you chosen names for them yet?"

Farrah answered,

"Yeah. That one you're looking at is Chloe. The one I'm holding is Sophia."

She then pointed to another baby, who had slight patches of reptilian-like skin on her hips and arms,

"That's Athena, and my son's name is Lance."

Greer said,

"They're all beautiful."

She got concerned and continued,

"You and I haven't had much chance to talk since you left to stop Daken. I was wondering how you were holding up."  
Farrah noticed Sophia had stopped fussing and placed her gently back in the crib. She brushed her hair back and said,

"It's been a little rough going. I'm still adjusting to a lot of it."

Tigra came near her,

"You know you can't run around black ops style and take care of a family, right?"  
The cat-girl nodded,

"I know that, Greer. I know that. It's just…I can't leave them behind. Leon is my mate, and all the other people I care about are here too. It's just that I couldn't do this to them and I don't want to abandon them."  
Tigra nodded,

"Yeah, I know."

She looked up at her student,

"Farrah, I want you to know that…if you need help with the children, I'm here for you."  
The white-haired were-lioness was about to respond when, suddenly, there was an explosion. Tigra said,

"I'll go check it out."

It did not take long for the tigress to find out the source of the commotion. It was Crisis, and he had just put Guy Gardner and Barda through a wall. Hawkman was next in line as he readied a mace.

The commotion drew the attention of several other members of the Justice League. Barry Allen, the current Flash, got between Crisis and Hawkman,

"What's going on?"

Leon shook his head, flat out lying,

"I slipped."  
Superman folded his arms,

"And how did Guy and Barda end up through a wall?"

Leon shrugged,

"Differences of opinion."  
He rotated his shoulder, slightly sore from the attack. J'onn helped up both the red-headed Green Lantern and the former female Fury. Guy wiped his mouth and glared,

"This ain't over, punk! You're ass is getting kicked!"  
Barry asked,

"What is this about?"

Leon said,

"They're blaming me for Watchtower's destruction, and a lot of innocent people that were murdered."

He shook his head,

"I told you; I didn't know about it until five minutes before it happened. Besides, I delivered the canisters to the President personally. It was his job at that point to secure them. Lane got a hold of them and this is the situation all of us are in now."

Hawkman grumbled,

"You disgust me. You're blaming your mistake on others."  
The red-eyed powerhouse responded,

"It's the truth."

Fury was leaning against a wall, watching the heated exchange. He then turned at seemingly nothing and shrugged,

"Kid's right, you know?"  
Batman, who was also there, just stared at both Fury and the brawl that had been stopped.

Tigra came in at that moment and asked,

"What's going on? What happened?"

Leon shook his head,

"Nothing happened."  
Just then, there was a loud, animal-like roar echoing throughout the Howling Commando's base. Fury grumbled,

"And this day just gets better and better."

Next Chapter:

Bast goes on a rampage, and a flashback on Crucifer and his legacy of terror is revealed! Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	3. Chapter 3

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 3: The Return of Evil 

Bast, the goddess of felines, snarled as she thrashed about the room she was in,

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!"  
She upturned a table with surprising strength and little effort, her eyes burning with rage. Deadpool looked at the situation and said,

"I'm guessing this is more than her monthly visit from mother nature."

He ducked a flying chair. The mercenary yelled,

"Hey! Some of us have contracts, you know!"

Donna Troy, the Howling Commando member Troia, tried to get near the seething were-cat,

"Bast, what is the matter?"

Bast turned, still angry, but Donna could see that this was not the anger that was brought about by rage.

Bast was angry because she was upset. And frightened.

The scimitar warrior could see the former Amazon princess' calming manner and slowly began to get calm herself.

Around this time, the seven original founders, Fury, Crisis, and Persiana had all made their way to that room. Wonder Woman asked,

"Is something the matter?"

Bast nodded, still slightly pent up with anger,

"Yes. He is here. He has returned."

Fury asked,

"Who has?"

Bast's voice slightly broke when she uttered the name,

"Crucifer."

Then, she recalled a memory…

**Flashback; Africa, 7,500 years ago… **

Bast was wandering the desert, wielding her scimitar. With her were three lionesses. She had brought these three with her because she was tracking down something that was killing other cats in the area. Though the Egyptian empire was still divided up at this time, Bast regarded the people in each of the small kingdoms as ones she must protect, and she was going to do so.

The evil that she felt was strongest at night, and that was when Bast did her patrols. The warrior goddess kept her scimitar at the ready and, though she tried to put up a strong front, this evil terrified her unlike anyway she had ever experienced before. It was ancient, more ancient than her. She would have sensed such a tremendous presence, but, it was carefully hidden.

The wind suddenly shifted unnaturally and the cats all tensed. A cackling voice spoke in an ancient language,

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

Bast hissed and immediately recognized the language. She shouted back,

Come out and fight, coward!

A dark cloud funneled down to the ground, spraying sand all around itself. Bast shielded her face as her robes began to be stained by the sand that was being kicked up. In a moment, a figure appeared; a wretchedly evil creature that had a cape that seemed to come from the starry, moonless night. The figure had pointed ears, teeth, and a pointed nose, and flashed a malicious grin,

"Hello, my dear. Lovely night for a stroll, isn't it?"

Bast hissed,

"Who are you?"

The figure bowed,

"My name is Crucifer. As to why I am here, that is simple…"

He revealed his fangs,

"I want your blood!"

One of the lionesses pounced, but Crucifer grabbed it by the neck and snapped it without trying. Bast shouted,

"You will pay for that!"  
She dashed in with her scimitar and went to slice the vampire. Crucifer would have gladly stopped it, had it not been for the fact that the scimitar suddenly sprouted flames. Crucifer quickly got out of the way, but was grazed by the flame. Bast smirked,

"It appears fire is your weakness, Crucifer."

Crucifer snarled back,

"And these humans are yours, woman."

He then looked out over the horizon. The sun was almost coming up. The vampire simply bowed and said,

"Until we meet again, my dear Bast."

With that, he teleported away.

**End Flashback… **

Crisis placed his hand on Bast's shoulder,

"Are you all right?"

Bast snapped back to reality and looked at the red-eyed commando, as well as the Justice League,

"Yes, but Crucifer is a menace that must be stopped at all costs."

Superman asked,

"But, who is Crucifer?"

The were-feline goddess gave a haunting answer,

"A vampire."

Farrah rolled her eyes,

"You're serious? We're fighting a count Dracula reject?"

Bast shook her head,

"Dracula was a walk in the park for me. Crucifer was actually the basis for all of the myths and legends behind vampires to begin with. When I first met him, however, he did have a weakness to fire and the sun."

Fury said,

"Helpful. But, it still doesn't explain where we can find him."

Bast said,

"I know where he is. Or, at least, where I sealed him."

Next Chapter:

The Justice League track down Crucifer's burial site, or, at least what is thought to be a burial site. But, Ra's al Ghul has the same thing in mind. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	4. Chapter 4

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 4: Crypt Stealers 

**At the Howling Commandos' Base… **

Donna was with the children. The raven-haired younger princess was staring silently into the cribs of Farrah's four children. She knew they would all be warriors someday, and she would see to it that Athena would receive the same training she did. She pressed a hand to her lips and kissed it, then placed the hand on Athena's forehead, whispering,

"Sleep, little sister. May the gods protect you and may Morpheus grant you pleasant dreams."

As she stepped out of the room, Diana caught up with her,

"Donna, there you are."

Troia looked at her older sister and slightly smiled,

"Diana, it's good to see you again."

Wonder Woman hugged her sister tightly, saying,

"I've missed you. We have a lot to talk about."

At this, Donna pulled away,

"Diana, this was my decision. I made it on my own. I understand what you and mother are thinking, but-."

Wonder Woman shook her head,

"Donna, you are a princess. There are times when you have to act like one, and running off with a group of killers-."

Donna's smile disappeared and an expression of anger replaced it,

"This is not about them. Don't blame them for this."

Diana sighed,

"I know you can be a bit flighty at times..."

The younger warrior growled,

"This is not about that. This is about Roy, and so much more."

Diana was perplexed, and her sister continued,

"I've decided to forgive him for what he did. I know you may not be able to, but I do, and I want us to work. Me and Roy."

The older Amazon princess placed a hand on her younger sister,

"Donna, I am just trying to talk to you as a sister."

Donna looked at it and stared back,

"I know you blame Crisis for somehow manipulating me into this situation. Don't."

Suddenly, the air started to get cold and dark, and Diana could feel Donna's skin becoming cold. The lights seemed to dim, but it was really Donna creating a cloud of darkness. The stare Diana was getting was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Donna stared both coldly and darkly at her older sister,

"Do we have an understanding, dear sister?"

Diana was surprised at this, but she nodded,

"Of course, Donna. This is your life."

And, just as quickly as the cold and darkness crept upon them, so too did it retreat. Donna then smiled again and walked away. Diana looked back and shook her head; this was not the same girl she knew or grew up with. The older princess asked herself,

"Gods, what are you becoming, Donna?

**Meanwhile… **

Bast was unusually silent as she led the way. Superman, Crisis, War Machine, Big Barda and Martian Manhunter were flying near the goddess of felines, while Batman and Zatanna were flying in the Batplane. The scimitar fighter normally would have enjoyed the desert air; especially at night. However, with the recent revelation that the ancient evil Crucifer had returned and was poised on regaining power through a host, there was nothing to smile about. The immortal continued flying through the night.

As they landed near the site of what was thought to be Crucifer's tomb, Martian Manhunter did a telepathic scan of the area,

"I do not sense anything coming from that tomb."

Superman used his X-ray vision, while War Machine activated motion sensors and infra-red vision. The Last Son of Krypton said,

"There's definitely been movement around here. Recent, too."

Rhody checked his sensors,

"Something's interfering with my scans. It's almost like this place is in a magnetic field or something."

Zatanna conjured a spell,

"It's probably a field of primitive magic."

Suddenly, the light from the spell fizzled and she shook her head,

"Definitely old magic. Older than anything I've encountered. My spells may not have much effect here, or they could be too effective."

Leon folded his arms,

"I'm guessing that, instead of a fireball, you could unleash a volcano on top of us, right?"

The tuxedo-wearing magician nodded,

"That and more."  
Barda clenched her weapon tightly,

"This place reeks of malice and evil. I have not felt such a dark presence since Apokalips."

Superman looked around,

"Has anyone seen Bast?"

Bast had gone further into Crucifer's tomb. A dark chill in the air could be felt throughout the tomb as her enhanced senses guided her to the main chamber. This place gave a vibe of fear, death, dark lust and desire. While the goddess of felines had no problem with lust, it was only for the express purpose of sex and pleasure, never into the dark feelings that had drowned so many others who practiced it.

The walls of the tomb were covered in dust from the sand, and the images had been weathered away for thousands of years. These images were that of caution; that a great and powerful evil was sealed here, and that, anyone foolish or insane enough to come here would unleash this evil in ways no mortal could dare fathom.

The scent in the air was of death, but Bast could tell there was more than one scent that had passed through. Her eyes glowed brightly as they penetrated the darkness. Still, she felt as though that, no matter how hard she concentrated through the darkness, the darkness seemed to creep up on her. She pulled her scimitar out and activated the magical flames on it, allowing her to see.

As the League entered the tomb in search of their compatriot, little did any one of them realize that, in this darkness, there was something watching them…

Next Chapter:

An encounter at Crucifer's tomb leads to an unbelievable discovery. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	5. Chapter 5

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Leon/Crisis and Bast. _

Chapter 5: Old Flames 

Leon looked around,

"Anyone else getting the feeling that Crucifer may be waiting for us?"  
Barda had her weapon drawn,

"Yes."

War Machine hit the side of his armored head as he commented,

"My scanners are on the fritz, but I'm compensating."  
His head then snapped in a direction,  
"Motion sensors just turned on. Something's here."

The red-eyed powerhouse and the former Fury stood back to back, their weapons drawn. Batman had a Bat-arang out while Superman and Zatanna got ready. The tension in the air was thick and Martian Manhunter pointed,

"I sense something approaching."

A voice called out,  
"Wait!"

A pathetic woman crawled on her hands and knees out of the darkness. She was disheveled and obviously weak. She held her hand close to her stomach. It was clear this woman was a vampire; her fangs and eyes screamed something feral about them. Crisis shook his head,

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Superman looked at her,

"Why are you here?"

The woman pleaded,

"Please. I wanted to be a part of Crucifer's cult, but, after what they made me did… I don't want to do it anymore!"  
She was sobbing, looking at the Man of Steel. The red-eyed Howling Commando member grumbled,

"We should kill her."

Clark looked back,

"She's not a threat. She's been beaten up."

Leon shook his head, rolling his eyes,

"How do we know she can be trusted? For all we know, this place is a big vampire lair!"

Superman turned his back to the vampire as he tried to reprimand Leon,

"She wants out, and I believe her."

Crisis got in close and pointed threateningly at the Last Son of Krypton, practically yelling;

"In case you forgot, this place housed an ancient evil for a very long time! I can barely trust what I see in front of me, much less what just came out of the shadows!"

The vampire woman shook her head,

"But, I am just a fledgling."  
Martian Manhunter tried to run a telepathic scan on her,

"It is difficult for me to read her. It appears as though being a vampire blocks some telepathic scans."

War Machine then said,

"Uh, guys?"

Superman and Crisis continued their heated argument. Crisis screamed,

"You're actually going to make this a debate, aren't you?"  
Clark nodded,

"I am! You can't prove your point by taking someone's life, ever!"

War Machine rolled his eyes,

"Screw this!"

He raised his hand and fired a grenade from his gauntlet. The grenade traveled between them into the darkness. Seconds later, a fiery blast emitted from one of the ruins and several charred vampires, not much older than the woman in front of them, were screaming in agony. Many of them were incinerated into ashes, but, to the few that were not totally engulfed, they made a mad, desperate dash to the heroes. War Machine unloaded with his shoulder-mounted gatling gun, raining them down with hot lead bullets. The vampires fell down, allowing the flames to consume their bodies. The woman vampire that was with them looked up, hissed, and lunged for Superman. Superman tried to get a grip and keep her from biting him while Barda clubbed the vampire from behind, breaking her neck. The vampire fell unconscious, but, then, twisted her body around and looked up. Zatanna chanted a spell,

"DNAS NI DLOH!"  
Sand came from around the vampire's ankles and consumed her up to her legs. Rendered completely immobile, the female vampire could only hiss and glare,

"You can't stop him! Crucifer will consume this world in darkness, and there is nothing you can do!"  
Crisis took out his lightsaber and decapitated the vampire on the spot. When the fight was over, the others could hear the sounds of another battle further up in the ruins. Bast had encountered more vampires, no doubt. Martian Manhunter and War Machine led the way. Crisis, Batman and Superman followed, but, as they moved, the red-eyed precog cast a dark glare at the Man of Steel. Superman looked right back at him, not even flinching.

Further inside, Bast had encountered more vampires. It seems this place was some sort of breeding ground Crucifer had developed; augmenting people into vampires and something beyond them as well. Bast had her flaming scimitar in hand and was able to keep the vampires away from her as she was backed into a corner. Her senses were running wild at the number of vampires trying to overrun her position, but, with her waving the scimitar so quickly, very few vampires were willing to risk getting incinerated in a blaze of magical fire.

The goddess of vengeance roared aggressively at vampires that challenged her,

"I will not rest until your master is dead!"

One of the vampires foolish enough to try and go after her did so, and Bast cleaved him in two flaming pieces. The other vampires took this opportunity to try and breach her defenses. Suddenly, as Bast was about to be overrun, all of the vampires were suddenly incinerated in a ball of fire. The fire looked unusually agonizing and, as the fire disappeared, the other heroes came on the scene. Bast nodded,

"My thanks to you, Zatanna."

The tuxedo-wearing magician blinked,

"What are you talking about? We just got here."

War Machine ran a scan,

"There's more signatures, but they're dropping like flies."

Indeed; not too far from their location; the vampires were running their way into the chamber, but, as they did, many of them were being set ablaze mysteriously. Leon shook his head,  
"What's going on?"

Bast then cringed,

"I sense something else. A demon is here."

Leon groaned,

"Great. A demon on top of vampires."

As the number of vampires disappeared, the darkness that crept through this place was clearing. Zatanna looked around,

"It's getting easier to see. The vampire numbers must have been creating an area of darkness and, with their numbers dwindling, it's getting easier to see."

The torches around the room began to light up, and a voice called out,

"You know, you could thank me for saving your life. It's customary."

Leon instantly widened his eyes at the voice,

"Oh, crap."

Batman looked at him,

"You know who this is?"

The red-eyed commando nodded silently and footsteps began to echo in the halls. The sounds of someone wearing high heels was too easy to distinguish and, the shadow of a female figure could be seen. As this woman rounded the corner, Crisis groaned,

"Not you. Any other woman but you."

A tall, voluptuously curved woman with fiery red hair, wearing a black bikini top and black tights, had the most lustful grin on her face; her eyes feral and wild with desire. She blew a kiss, smirking,

"What? No, how have you been, Satana? I'm hurt."

Next Chapter:  
What is Satana doing fighting vampires? How does it all connect to Crucifer? Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	6. Chapter 6

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Leon/Crisis, Farrah/Persiana, and Bast. _

Chapter 6: Dealing with a Demoness 

Satana ran her hands seductively through her long, red hair, moaning slightly. She acted as if the very sight of the red-eyed powerhouse was causing her to arouse her feelings. Bast hissed,

"What are you doing here, vile creature?"

The succubus replied innocently,

"What? A hot half-demon can't help but wander into a vampire lair and help the man she loves so much?"  
Zatanna shook her head,

"You're a sex demon. You don't have any sort of feelings for love."

Satana looked on in mock surprise,

"You wound me so."  
She clutched her heart dramatically, then squeezed her breast just for Leon. Superman turned to Crisis,

"You know who this is?"

Leon sighed deeply,

"Unfortunately. She seems to think I have a thing for her."

Satana laughed,

"Oh, come on, Leon. What guy doesn't like a bad girl?"

She then eyed the Man of Steel and lustfully licked her lips,

"Well, hello stranger."

She sauntered up to Clark and traced her fingers on the 'S' shield,

"So, handsome. What's the 'S' stand for?"

Superman placed his hands on her arms and pulled her away,

"Please, I'm married."

Leon grumbled,

"Like that's going to stop her."

Satana whirled around, hearing that comment,

"I heard that. You're really lucky my idiot brother isn't around to kick your ass."

Crisis folded his arms, smirking,

"Believe me; you wouldn't let it get that far. Not until you got pregnant."

Satana huffed and turned back to Superman. She looked at him and said,  
"So, you're married, huh?"

She then asked,

"Do you mind if I just touch your face, then?"

Zatanna looked at the Last Son of Krypton with concern,

"Don't, Superman. She'll drain your life force."

Satana rolled her eyes,

"Oh, come on. Do you really think I would do something like that?"

Leon looked at the sensuous red-head and shook her head,

"She's not going to."

Satana caressed Superman's face, then suddenly scratched it. Bast lunged for her, and Superman flinched a little. The half-demon quickly enveloped herself in hellfire and cackled,

"Go ahead and try it, kitten!"  
The fire licked at Bast's fur, and the goddess of vengeance shouted in an ancient language. No doubt, it was a string of curse words that only seemed to amuse Satana. Zatanna tried to cast a spell, but then, the hellfire dissipated and Satana laughed,

"Oh, come on! Can't you people take a joke?"

Superman clutched the side of his face, feeling the cut. Satana had drawn blood and she licked it off of her fingers. Then, the demon turned to Crisis, asking,

"So, are we going or what?"

Leon folded his arms,

"Why are you here, Satana?"

Satana sulked and sighed,

"If you really must know; I want to help. Ever since escaping Hell, I've been trying to find a place to call my own and decided this was the best place. You know, stopping an ancient evil is a great way to earn brownie points and make people forget about all those other people you killed."  
Bast glared menacingly at the succubus,

"You are a fiend I will gladly wipe from this plane, creature!"

Satana chuckled,  
"Fine, but, like it or not; you're going to need my help. I know a little thing about Crucifer you don't."

Barda asked,

"And, what would that be?"

Satana shook her head,

"Oh, no. First, I want something."

Leon grumbled,

"Figures."

Satana looked at Leon,

"Wow, Farrah really must have you whipped. And, why do you stay with her, anyway?"

Crisis shook his head,

"Because she has four kids."  
Satana suddenly glared murderously at Crisis,

"WHAT? FOUR KIDS!"  
She was enveloped in hellfire again, this time her skin changing red and horns growing out of the sides of her head. Satana breathed fire and drooled acid as she spoke,

"YOU KNOCKED UP THAT BITCH BEFORE ME! I ACTUALLY LOVED YOU!"  
Leon stared right back,

"First of all, we both know I couldn't get you pregnant even if I wanted to. Second, you were never interested in me, except for the fact you needed a good time with someone."

Satana let some of her acidic saliva drop onto a stone and the stone soon was a pool of acidic rock. She knew Leon would never flinch when it came to Persiana, but, that did not mean she was not willing to try. She changed back to her red-headed form and nodded,

"Fine. I'll accept that, for now."

She then looked around for Batman,

"There was another one of you, wasn't there?"

Martian Manhunter said,

"Batman is investigating the tomb."

Satana shook her head,

"Don't bother. This place really needs some sprucing up. You know, a few chains on the wall, fountains of blood, torture implements; the stuff that really makes sex all kinky and whatnot."

She then looked at some of the looks she was getting and shrugged,

"What? I have exotic tastes."

The demoness then said in a sing-song voice,

"Besides, I know something you don't know."

Barda then grabbed Satana by the neck and picked her up, pressing her against a wall,

"No more games. What do you know?"

The warrior of Apokoplips was not going to sit idly by and watch as this insane demon made her look like a fool. Satana playfully whispered into the former Fury's ear,

"I know where Crucifer is."

Next Chapter:

A decision is reached as the Justice League and the Howling Commandos try and use what information Satana has on Crucifer. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	7. Chapter 7

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 7: Deal with the Devil 

Superman and the others were outside Crucifer's tomb. Satana was busy filing her nails; the red-headed half-demon wore a dark smile as she watched the others talk amongst themselves. Some of the heroes, like Bast were extremely vocal about what they should do with Satana. The goddess of felines glared murderously at Bast,

"I say we torture her for the information."

Barda had her weapon drawn as well,

"Agreed."

Superman shook his head,

"No, that's not what we do."

Leon added,

"Besides, I think you would succeed in turning her on. No, there has to be another way."

Zatanna shrugged,

"I don't see how. Anyone that succumbs to a succubus has their life force drained. No one can recover from that. We would be sacrificing someone just to give her a good time."

War Machine said,

"I'm not a fan of the idea myself. There's no way to know if Satana's information is reliable, anyway. For all we know, she could be working with Crucifer."

Crisis looked back at the succubus for a moment, and Satana waved playfully at the red-eyed young man. The swordsman looked back and said,

"There's only one option we have available."

Batman said,

"And, what's that?"

Leon began walking towards Satana,

"Give her what she wants."

The other League members were a little confused and the Man of Steel asked,

"What do you mean, 'give her what she wants'? Leon?"  
Crisis smirked and said,

"Satana, I've decided to hear you out."

The succubus grinned,

"Finally. You always could see the right way out of this situation. Now, before I give you the information, I want something first. I'm hungry and want someone to eat."

Her lips grinned and she laughed at how Leon had an uncomfortable look on his face,

"Oh, relax, Leon. Despite the bad boy reputation you've developed, I'm saving you for later. But, I want a real man to please me now."

She then eyed Superman and whispered,  
"How about him?"

Leon nodded,

"I'll set it up."

Satana clapped her hands excitedly,

"Yay! I finally get to see if he really is a Man of Steel!"

She scampered off and Superman said,

"There is no way I'm sleeping with her. I'm a married man."

Crisis looked right back at Clark without saying a word. As they began to fly off, Crisis had a sinister smirk on his face. He had a plan…

**Back at the Howling Commandos' base… **

Satana's arrival at the base was not without controversy, to say the least. Bast grumbled to herself,

"I find it distasteful trusting her."

Leon shook his head,

"I don't like it either. But, it's the only option we have."

Satana was jumping up and down like a school girl,

"Oh, this is so perfect! I love it so much! My own Man of Steel!"

The Last Son of Krypton groaned,

"Why me?"

Leon said,

"Now, Satana. There's a room nearby. Just go there and prepare yourself. Superman will join you shortly."

Satana could not get away fast enough as she streaked off, leaving a trail of hellfire in her wake. It soon died down, but left a clear path of ash to follow. Clark was adamant,

"There is no way I am doing this."

Leon nodded,

"I know that."

Batman then figured it out,

"You know that's dangerous."

Barda shook her head,

"What are you talking about?"

Crisis then turned to Zatanna,

"I need you to do me a favor."

A few minutes had gone by and Satana was pacing the room, thinking about what to do when Superman showed up. She snapped her fingers, saying,

"What outfit should I wear?"

In a pillar of hellfire, her clothes changed to a sexy school girl outfit, then she changed again to a sexy police officer's outfit, and then, she changed into a cheerleader. Finally, she decided on her own clothes and grinned,

"What can go wrong with a classic?"  
The door then opened and Satana squealed,

"Oh, there you are! Take me now!"

The silhouette of Superman appeared in the room, complete with the flowing cape. Satana jumped up and down, excited to say the least,

"Show me why they call you Superman!"

The door then slammed shut and an annoying voice screamed,

"Hey! You're not Bea Arthur!"

It was Deadpool, wearing a long flowing cape!

Outside, Zatanna had finished chanting a spell, creating a sort of magical prison for the two of them. Just to make things safe, several locks and boards were put up on the door into the windowless room. A series of shouts could be heard, mostly coming from Satana,

"YOU TRICKED ME, LEON! WHEN I GET OUT OF THIS, YOU'RE DEAD!"

Leon began chuckling,

"Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?"

Superman said,

"That wasn't fair, you know. Tricking Deadpool and Satana in the same room."

Batman added,

"But, Deadpool had the best chance of surviving any of Satana's draining abilities. Either they'll end up killing each other, or making love."

Several loud curses could be heard, followed by banging on the walls. Crisis shrugged,

"Right now, I don't think we should care about which."

Farrah came by,

"What's with all the noise?"

Leon said,  
"Well, Satana's in there-."

A loud growl came from the lioness. Persiana grumbled,

"She's here?"

Leon continued,

"Relax; I tricked her into sleeping with Deadpool. It's all good."

Persiana shook her head,

"Leon, I love you and everything, but tricking Deadpool and Satana to be in the same room together is bad. Hell, putting those two in the same reality is a bad idea."

Crisis folded his arms,

"What is the worst thing that could happen?"

Batman said,

"You're the precog. You tell us."

Leon shook his head,

"That's not how my powers work. It just comes to me."

Barda asked,

"So, what do we do now?"

Leon said,

"Now, we wait."

Next Chapter:

Crisis faces the consequences of his actions when Satana and Deadpool get out of the room. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	8. Chapter 8

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 8: Things Getting Worse 

The repeated banging on the walls in the sealed room containing Deadpool and Satana were echoing through the hallways of the Howling Commandos' base. Though the idea was a controversial one, Leon argued it like this; Satana needed life force to sustain herself and, since Deadpool boasted often about his inability to be killed, it stood to reason that the Merc-with-a-mouth would have the best odds of surviving whatever draining effects came from the demoness. At first, both Deadpool and Satana were banging on the walls, yelling and screaming to be let out. Then, it just became banging.

It was at this time that Booster Gold organized a poker game just outside the room, to pass the time away. With him were Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, Tigra, Fire, Ice, and Arsenal. Crisis was also in the area, reading a book. Another loud boom was heard and Booster said,

"So, who wants to open?"  
Blue Beetle looked over at Crisis,

"Aren't you in the least bit worried about what's going on in there right now, Leon?"

The red-eyed man looked up and said simply,

"I'd rather not."

Tora turned to Fire,

"It's been a while, Bea."

The former model nodded,

"Yes, it has. Now, I'm opening."

She placed some chips on the table and the ice-powered heroine asked,  
"Are you feeling all right? You were not happy when you left."

Bea flashed in green flames for a moment, glaring at her friend. She then took a deep breath and calmed down, explaining,

"I would rather not talk about it."

Guy scoffed,

"Don't bother, Tora. She probably has a blow-up Flash doll to keep her company."

Fire looked up and snarled, sending a jet of green flame near him. The sudden attack knocked the arrogant Green Lantern off of his seat and onto the floor. The others began cracking up, except for Ice. She came over to him,

"Guy, are you all right?"

The red-headed fighter nodded,

"Yeah, I saw that coming."

Roy shook his head,

"Maybe we should just not talk and just deal the cards."

He placed some chips in and said,  
"Call."

Ted looked at Arsenal's new arm and asked,

"Dangerous mission?"  
Roy nodded,  
"Daken cut it off. Had to get it replaced. It's fine, but Donna doesn't like it. She says it's a little cold."

Another bang was heard, followed by another shout. Seemingly ignoring it, Booster asked,

"How many?"  
Ted answered,

"Two."

Arsenal said,

"I'll keep my hand."

Guy chuckled,

"You're bluffing, kid."  
Fire remained expressionless. Ice got a little concerned and said,

"Bea, if you ever want to talk about something, I'm listening. Ok?"

Bea looked at her cards and tossed them in disgust,

"I fold."

Booster pulled out a translucent green visor and shifted his eyes cryptically, acting like he was a professional poker player. Leon, not looking up from his book, said,  
"You're going to lose with that hand, Booster."

Booster chuckled,

"That's what you think. I've got it in the bag."

He turned back and said,

"Read 'em and weep, ladies and gents! Straight!"

He laid the cards down and, as some of the players tossed their cards in disgust. Ice shook her head,

"I think I beat you."

She revealed a flush. Booster's smile faded and an expression of shock came on his face. The precog chuckled,

"Told you so."

It was around this time that the noise in the room had ceased and Crisis looked up,

"Huh, it's over."

He walked up and opened the door. As he did, the red-eyed young man screamed out,

"OH MY GOD! THAT'S SICK!"  
He covered his mouth and ran to find the nearest sink or toilet. As he did, the others heard the commotion and Farrah said,

"Leon, what's wrong?"

Leon puked into a barrel and heaved slightly, pointing into the next room,

"That…that…it's horrible! It's worse than I ever thought possible!"

Superman asked,

"What is? What's going on?"

Leon began huddling back and forth in a ball, a vacant stare in his eyes as he began to process what he saw. Troia shook her head,

"I have never seen Leon like this before. Farrah, do you know what's going on?"

Persiana snarled,

"No, but I intend to find out."

She marched to where Satana and Deadpool were and rapped on the door,

"Open this door now, bitch! What did you do to my man?"  
The door opened and Farrah looked on in horror as well. She screamed,

"MY EYES! MY EYES! SOMEONE GOUGE THEM OUT!"  
She then huddled with her boyfriend and the two began crying softly. Booster shook his head,

"What could be so bad?"

He then opened the door and was shocked. The hero from the future ran away, shouting,

"It's not human! It's not human!"  
Then, Michael crashed into a wall, knocking himself out.

It was around this time that Satana emerged from the room a completely different person. Her arms were around Deadpool, whose costume was in shambles. The red-headed succubus had a wide, satisfied smile on her face as she said,

"That was awesome sex, Wade."

Wade smirked,  
"I guess that's why I'm Deadpool! I can get it on with a hot demon chick and live to tell about it."

Satana smirked and shook her head at the sight of Leon and Farrah,

"Pity. I really did like him, too. But, I have you, Wade…"

She purred, adding,

"So, when should we get married? Before or after we kill Crucifer?"

Superman, as well as the rest of the Justice League and Howling Commandos, looked on in total shock. Deadpool thought it over and said,

"How about you tell us about Crucifer? Then, we'll discuss wedding bells."

Satana shrugged,

"All right. I'll tell you. And, then, we're going for another romp in the sack."

Diana held her stomach,  
"I think I'm going to be sick."

Batman maintained his stoic appearance and he left. He rounded a corner and the sounds of vomit escaping his body could be heard.

For all the things that could go wrong in this operation, Deadpool and Satana getting married was one of the worst things to occur. Crisis really wished the two of them would just kill him and get it over with.

Next Chapter:

The League and Howling Commandos finally get Crucifer's location, but, all does not appear to be with this ancient evil. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	9. Chapter 9

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 9: Discovery is Made 

Satana smirked,

"Before I give you the information, you have to throw my dream wedding for me with Deadpool!"

Leon, who, by this time, had recovered from his traumatic experience, said,

"You want us to host a wedding?"

The succubus nodded,

"Yep, with all the trimmings."

Farrah blinked,

"Satana, not that I don't see a problem with you marrying anyone else other than my man, but, I just want to say that there is an ancient evil running around out there, trying to turn everyone into vampires. I would think that takes precedence."

The crazy red-headed demon nodded,

"You're right. I guess I could help."

She tossed a black rock to Batman,

"Found that in the tomb. It's got some serious magical power, but don't know what it is."

Barda snarled,

"You said you knew where Crucifer was."  
Satana laughed,

"I lied. I'm a demon. I do that."

The former Fury picked up her weapon and hefted the demon off of her feet, threatening,  
"I will beat you to within an inch of your life, monster."

Deadpool got up,

"Now, see here, you ugly woman you-."

A sharp glare from the wife of Scott Free would freeze most men in their tracks. However, Deadpool was not like most men. He continued,

"You do not lay a hand on my wife and-."

He then got hit with the Nega-Rod. The mercenary was sent flying into a wall. He groaned,

"Ow."

Zatanna looked at the rock,

"It's definitely magical. Very old magic, too. Whatever it is, just from looking at it, it's like it's alive or something."

Batman said,

"I'll have Atom take a look at it. There might be something on it we could use."

As the Dark Knight Detective went to find the shrinking scientist, Satana grinned,

"So, who's coming to the wedding?"

Leon held his head,

"I can just imagine what Satana's brother is going to say when he hears about this."

**Meanwhile… **

The thought of a horny sex demon and an insane mercenary getting married was enough for the more serious League members and some members of the Howling Commandos to examine the unusual item Satana had procured from Crucifer's ancient temple. Fury looked at it curiously,

"Any idea what it might be?"  
Zatanna shook her head,

"Other than a powerful artifact, I got nothing. Atom is taking a look deeper in it right now."  
The Atom, real name Ray Palmer, was a scientist who harnessed the power of a dwarf star to shrink himself down to the sub-molecular level and travel in-between atoms. Being a scientist in numerous fields, Ray was perfect for the task of determining an object's molecular structure. As he descended down into the object, he opened a communication relay, saying,

"I'm at the lowest level I can go. From what I'm looking at, this was definitely a man-made item."  
To the size changing scientist, the stone looked more like a cliff, with all of its irregular peaks and edges. He walked a little bit and continued talking,

"There's something unusual about this. I am hearing something, like a hum or something. As I move in, I'll be able to listen…Hold on, I have something here."

Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Flash, and Fury all listened in as Atom explained,

"From the sound of what I am hearing, it sounds…call me crazy, but I am hearing a regular buzzing sound."

A burst of electricity went by Atom, and he said,

"I just saw some sort of electrical surge move by. And, the buzzing changed."

He shook his head,

"Call me crazy, but, I think this thing's alive."

Fury asked,

"Alive?"  
Zatanna tapped her chin in thought,

"Well, it's not the first time I've heard of something like this. Depending on the person that made it, it's possible to infuse someone's soul within an object."

The one-eyed operative said,

"Just what we need; a lame Harry Potter reference."

Everyone looked at the former head of SHIELD and he looked back,  
"What?"

Atom continued studying and running scans at his level. He called in as a new wavelength was developing,

"Something's happening. It's almost like…oh, crap."

Superman asked,

"What is it?"

Atom answered,

"This thing is emitting something very similar to radio frequencies. This object is broadcasting!"  
Suddenly; the lights went out all over the base. Superman, however, used his super hearing,

"There's shuffling around. Someone's nearby."

A low, sinister chuckle began echoing throughout the base and a familiar voice said,  
"Well, it's been a while…bubs."

Crisis pulled out his light saber and shook his head,

"Daken's here."

Next Chapter:

Daken, the dangerous assassin, has an ace up his sleeve as he emerges to take on the Howling Commandos and the Justice League! Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	10. Chapter 10

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 10: Daken's Bluff 

**Flashback… **

Daken and Ra's al Ghul were talking with the shadow Crucifer, an ancient evil vampire that existed well before the time of the Egyptians. Crucifer said,

"In order to attain true immortality, Demon's Head, you must first retrieve my heart, which has been separated from my body."

Ra's looked at the shadow,

"And, where is it?"

Crucifer answered,

"It beats, and can easily be found with those you call the Justice League. My crypt was attacked and the heart was taken away from there. You must get it back for me."

Daken shook his head,

"If it's with the League, they're going to eventually figure out it's a heart."

The disembodied shadow laughed,

"Do not fret, assassin. Though I am incorporeal and cannot access my full power, I can lend you some of mine. I sense a powerful artifact resides within you."

A lower claw popped out of Daken's wrist. He nodded,  
"The Muramasa blade, capable of killing a god."

Crucifer said,

"Of course. Now, put it into my shadow and watch."

As Daken did what he was instructed, a shadowy tendril shot forth and wrapped around Daken's blades. In a moment, the blades turned black, coursing with dark magic. Then, Daken felt his eyes roll into the back of his head, as darkness covered his whole body. Ra's watched in awe as Daken began pulsing with energy, until the darkness slipped away and he stood still. Daken opened his eyes, a pair of dark fangs revealed themselves. Crucifer said,

"You have been lent my power, but only for a night. You must stay out of the way of light, but, as you walk in darkness, you are darkness. You will see in total darkness, but not in light. Now, go."

Daken nodded and melded into the shadow. Ra's looked on and, though he dreamed of having that type of power, he also began to get worried about just how dangerous this Crucifer was.

**End of Flashback… **

Daken smirked evilly as he revealed his new, darker claws. Bast hissed,

"He reeks of Crucifer."

The clawed assassin chuckled,

"Too bad. He told me you'd be a real cutie, Bast."

The goddess of vengeance growled and clutched her scimitar tightly. The blade turned into flames, but, as soon as light began to show; Daken seemed to disappear. Crisis looked around,

"Where'd he go?"

Bast looked around,

"I do not know, but he is somehow still here."

Then, suddenly, a sharp pain could be felt in her side as Daken appeared behind her. To add insult to injury, he bit into the goddess' shoulder, then slapped her way. Bast fell to the floor, roaring in pain.

That roar alerted the Justice League and the other Howling Commandos. Superman came at Daken, but Daken seemed to blend in with the floor, disappearing again. Crisis said,

"Watch it; he got to Bast that way!"

Bast hissed in pain as she tried to get up, but she was bleeding. There was more to Daken then she realized. It was those blades of his. The taint of Crucifer was all over them, yet, there was something else about those blades. Another ancient artifact; this one of slaughter. The goddess of felines sat up, and Diana came near her,

"Are you all right, sister?"

Bast shook her head,

"My wounds; they are not healing properly. His blades; there is an ancient spell cast on them."

Daken appeared behind Wonder Woman,

"Now, tell me where that heart is, and I promise to leave you alone."

Guy unleashed his emerald ring on the assassin,

"Try this on for size, Edward Scissorhands!"  
A flash of green light was launched from the Green Lantern. Daken dodged it, but barely; the light narrowly avoided his face. He could feel the cut go deep into him, though. It was part of Crucifer's power, but it was also a weakness. Daken then disappeared into the shadows and tried to go for the heart. Batman said,

"He's after that stone. Secure it now!"  
Daken had managed to find the stone and was about to go for it when a voice said,

"Don't even think about it."

The son of Wolverine turned and, seemingly from the shadows, came Troia. Her hair was like a starry night sky and her costume sparkled as such. Her eyes were narrowed and she said again,

"Back off, now, Daken."

Daken smirked,  
"Well, fancy meeting you here, cutie. Maybe I'll take you with me."

Donna sped right up to Daken and delivered a back hand. Daken went flying into a wall, but, as he turned, his eyes widened. A dazzling beam of light shot forth from Donna's hand and, when the smoke cleared, Troia looked around. She did not see Daken anywhere. She thought she got him.

Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through her body as she felt a blade pierce her body. She tried to turn, but slumped over and onto Daken's shoulder. The former Dark Avenger then grabbed the stone and began to disappear into the shadows, just as Wonder Woman and the others got back. Diana made a grab for her sister in desperation, but, she could barely touch her fingers as she seemingly disappeared. The older princess screamed in agony.

This was not going to go unpunished…

Next Chapter:  
All is not lost as Wonder Woman and the League track down Daken and the object he took. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	11. Chapter 11

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Leon/Crisis, and Bast. _

Chapter 11: To the Rescue 

Hippolyta and Diana were not happy to say the least. Donna was more than just an Amazon to these two; she was family. Despite the literally chilling reception Donna gave to her sister, Wonder Woman was still determined to find her. She was a little composed about this, more so than her mother. Hippolyta, in another room, swore and screamed,  
"THAT MAN IS DEAD WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM!"  
A loud crash was heard and Arsenal winced,

"Your mother is taking this better than I thought she would."

The older Amazon princess glared at the red-headed archer,

"Was that supposed to be funny?"

Roy shook his head,

"No, but I do agree that Daken is dead when we find him."

He touched his artificial arm and Diana nodded in understanding,

"He did that to you, didn't he?"

Roy nodded,

"Yeah. I pushed Donna out of the way. Bastard was gonna decapitate her in Kasnia."

Diana said,

"Is that why you decided to be with her, because she would feel grateful?"  
The archer looked at the warrior, explaining,

"No, before that. She wanted us to work again, and well…it got pretty passionate."

Roy looked up and saw Diana's face. He was expecting her to pummel him for saying it. He expected a tongue lashing. He expected a violent reaction to what he just said. Strangely enough, however, all he got from Diana was this very calm response,

"Thank you."

Another crash was heard, and Captain America said,

"What about calming Hippolyta down?"

Farrah smiled,

"By all means, go ahead."

Steve blinked,

"You want me to go in there?"

Fury shrugged,  
"Well, you are the one she likes."

Satana looked up from her bridal magazine,

"I can't. I'm planning my wedding."

Deadpool, dressed with a bridal veil on his head, added,

"Besides, I need to get measured for what I'm going to wear for this thing."

He began flipping through the stacks of bridal magazines that the two were sitting on and the Merc-with-a-mouth pointed,

"Oooh! Oooh! This one! This one, Satana! This one!"

The half-demon sorceress looked at the picture, and then, with a dead-panned expression, said,

"No, Wade. Not that décor."

Wade groaned,

"But, you like chains and fire!"  
Satana said,

"In the honeymoon suite, I do. Not on my wedding day."

She then noticed the veil and ripped it off of Deadpool's head,

"Besides, you are going out and getting measured for a tux. I'm going to wear the dress."

Persiana turned to Crisis, quipping,

"I don't see her in white? Does anybody else?"

Satana snarled,

"I heard that, hairball. I was going to make you a bridesmaid, but now, you're not coming at all."

The cat-woman shrugged,

"Whatever. I wasn't planning on attending anyway."

Superman groaned,  
"Could we get back to the task at hand? We need to find Daken and rescue Donna from whatever Crucifer has planned."

Barry looked at J'onn,

"Has it always been this crazy since I died?"

The Martian Manhunter said,

"All that and more."

The Flash blinked,

"And I thought things were wild when Hal got drunk and challenged Hawkman to a fight."

Hawkgirl grinned,  
"Really? That must have been a spectacle to see."

Hawkman growled slightly at that,

"You shouldn't. It was not pleasant to see."

The Man of Steel shook his head, holding his head in his hands. Getting the League organized like this had never been this difficult…

**Meanwhile… **

Batman, Zatanna, and Fury were discussing what to do next. Zatanna was busy chanting a spell,

"The thing with these powerful artifacts is that they are not as easy to track down as you might think. Because this is old magic, though, it may be easier to track than-."

Then, the spell she was casting suddenly flared up, a billowing smoke cloud appeared in her hands. Through the cloud, the three people saw Daken and Ra's al Ghul meeting somewhere in the desert. However, there did not seem to be any landmarks or points of interest that they could find.

A voice from the doorway smirked,

"My father is smart enough to know that you would use magic to track him."

Talia was leaning against the doorway as the three turned. Batman immediately whirled around on Fury,

"How long has she been here?"

Fury shrugged,  
"A while."

The former head of SHIELD did not seem to be phased the way others would be at Batman's glare. The Dark Knight looked back at Talia,

"What are you doing here, Talia?"

Zatanna had an immediately jealous glare about her as Talia said,

"My father is holding our son hostage. Fury has agreed to help me get him back."

She then smirked at Zatanna, saying cryptically,  
"The most obvious path is not always the best one."

The daughter of the Ra's then left. Zatanna shook her head,

"Bitch. And, what did she mean by 'our son'?"

Batman did not say a word, but simply turned around,

"Use a spell to find Troia."

The tuxedo-clad sorceress shrugged and went to casting.

**Meanwhile… **

Bast was lying in the infirmary. Her wound was not healing. She shook her head, noticing her robes were stained with her blood. Crucifer had delivered a critical blow through Daken and she was bleeding out. It was taking all of her strength just to keep herself alive. But, the goddess of felines was not going to die a vain death. She needed to do something.

Getting up from the bed, she began walking. Bast was determined to do this last thing before her passing. She slowly made her way to where Farrah's children were lying in slumber. Tigra was with them. She looked back and saw Bast. The tigress was a bit surprised and put the baby she was holding down,

"Bast, what are you doing here?"  
The goddess looked back,

"Please. I have a little time left. The wound was tainted by Crucifer and we have no time. Please, let me do this one final act so I can die peacefully."

Greer swallowed nervously,

"I'll help you get back to the infirmary. I'm sure-."

Bast hissed loudly,

"NO! I WILL NOT!"

She swayed a little, but the feline goddess steadied herself. Through teary eyes, she pleaded,

"Let me. Please."

Tigra did not know why, but she sensed that this was the thing to do. She backed away,

"All right. Do what you have to. How can I help?"

Bast directed,  
"I must be in the center of the room for this to work."

Tigra backed away and the goddess began channeling whatever strength she had left. Her eyes glowed brightly and a hieroglyphic mark began appearing in the room. Traced out, the mark began to glow and engulf the babies in a brilliant light. Tigra felt it calming and warm. Her eyes closed and she felt soothed by it. Bast clenched her fists and chanted in an ancient language. Though Tigra did not understand a syllable of what was happening, she did feel a connection to it. It was almost by instinct that she understood.

Bast clutched her hand tightly and, it began to loosen up. In her hand was an amulet, and it was glowing. Bast's eyes were also glowing; the same color as the amulet. The amulet was a small cat and, as Tigra could see it, it was a spotted cat. Bast then said,

"Find the next one. The amulet will show you the way."

A light blinded everyone in the room and, when the light completely subsided, Bast lay on the floor, dead. Tigra went near her and she noticed that, through it all, Bast had a smile on her face. Greer smiled, whispering,

"Thank you."

Persiana and some of the Howling Commando members and League members came at the door. Farrah asked,

"What happened?"  
Tigra explained,

"Bast is dead."

She held the amulet,

"She asked me to find the next one with this."

Just then, there was a call. Batman said,

"We have a location on Troia and the artifact."

Next Chapter:

The League and the Howling Commandos close in on Daken's location. Will they get there in time to stop Crucifer's permanent resurrection? Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	12. Chapter 12

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 12: The Vampire's Lair 

Daken, with his newfound abilities, had successfully retrieved Crucifer's infernal heart, as well as a new prize; the Amazon princess Troia. Donna moaned as she awoke in a tent. She shifted slightly and found herself tied up. She was bent over backwards and her wrists were tied to her ankles. The Amazon warrior huffed a little, feeling uncomfortable in the position she was in. She had to find a way out of here and warn the League, but she had no idea where she was. Donna closed her eyes and tried to hear anything that would help her determine what was going on.

Outside the tent were two guards who were watching the prisoner. Both were in desert garb and Donna almost had a particular notion that they were trained fighters. They were talking in a language she did not immediately understand at first, but, within the next few seconds, she understood everything. The two guards had reservations about Ra's al Ghul trusting this Daken person. Donna swallowed a little and thought,

_Daken must have gained some sort of power from Crucifer. And that was only without the heart. I cannot imagine what sort of power he has with it. _

She had to get to the heart and get away from Crucifer as fast and as far as she could. Slowly, she began shifting out of the binds. Donna shook her head, thinking to herself,

_Farrah would never have any trouble out of these ropes. Neither would Batman, but I can do this. _

Donna could feel the ropes brush harshly against her skin, leaving a rash on her wrists. Slowly, she began maneuvering one hand out of the restraint and gave a hard pull. She bit down to suppress the pain, but, as she did, she realized her thumb had been dislocated. Donna took part of the rope and bit down on it hard. She then readjusted her thumb, and the pain was bad. She let out a slight muffled scream. The guards turned to find out what was going on and, when one of them peered inside, Donna grabbed both of them and knocked them into each other hard. Both guards were unconscious and the Amazon warrior rubbed her wrists. Though she did not have her bracelets, she did notice both of her captors had swords. Not quite Amazon quality, but it would do nicely. She lifted both of them and twirled them for a moment, feeling the weight. A dark smile appeared on her face and she proceeded out of the tent.

**Meanwhile… **

Crucifer looked at Daken, smiling evilly,

"You have it, I see."

The mercenary chuckled,

"The League didn't fight hard enough to keep it out of my reach."

Ra's al Ghul took the heart and studied it,

"Incredible. I can feel the energy just by touching it."

Crucifer said,

"Now, we must place the heart inside my body. The sarcophagus can be opened with someone's blood."

Daken nodded and, as he positioned himself in front of the stone monument, he asked,

"Could I ask you something? What happens if that heart thing gets destroyed?"

Crucifer was getting agitated,

"Open my sarcophagus now, fool! Lest you lose what power I have given you!"  
Daken popped out two claws,

"Sure."

He then suddenly revealed his lower claw and promptly sliced the head of Ra's al Ghul off. Ra's laid dead on top of the sarcophagus and his blood began to spill onto it. Crucifer chuckled evilly,

"Well done, Daken. You have behaved admirably."

The sarcophagus began to open and Daken looked inside. However, there was nothing to be had. The son of Wolverine shook his head,

"What the-?"  
Crucifer sinisterly responded,

"Fool, did you really think I ever had a real body?"

A foul wind suddenly blew in the tent and Daken was thrown inside the sarcophagus, as well as the heart and Crucifer's spirit. Then, it was sealed shut and a dark glow began to come from the stone.

When Ra's al Ghul's bodyguard came in, he saw his master dead and he was stunned. The ubu looked around and sounded the alarm. But, the alarm was already sounded when gunfire began to be heard. Troia was working her way to the main tent.

In the air, Superman and as many League members, as well as Crisis and the Howling Commandos, were making their way to the scene of the fight. Zatanna swallowed nervously,

"Guys, I'm sensing something big is happening."

Satana nodded,

"Yeah, it's big, dark, and bad."

She then grinned,

"And I like it."

Hal looked at Leon,

"And this is the woman you had a thing with?"

The red-eyed swordsman groaned,

"No, she had a thing for me, but that's beside the point."

Superman could hear the screams and said,

"Something's happening. We need to move in."

Troia, on the ground, was slicing her way through the guards. The two scimitars she took were quite useful in slicing her adversaries. As she moved in to attack, her Amazon training was a big help in fighting so many foes, but, there was also something else. It was a full moon tonight, and Donna almost felt a connection to it. It was like the moon was empowering her every movement and her every attack. She felt unusually cold and dark the more she fought, yet she could see everything within the night sky. Donna ducked another attack and sliced through the gun and the person holding it. She tossed the scimitars aside and, with her hair becoming more of a starry night again, launched a dazzling beam of white light at a cluster of her adversaries.

The explosion lit up the night sky and Persiana pointed out,

"I think Donna finally got out and is not happy right now."  
Hippolyta had her sword ready as she descended from Diana's arms and shouted,

"DAKEN, WHERE ARE YOU?"  
Fury looked at Captain America,

"Is there anything I should know about you two?"

Steve looked back,

"Don't go there, Nick. Just don't go there."

Inside the main tent, the sarcophagus began to shake more and more violently. The energy from the thing flashed and then, suddenly went silent. The stone lid was thrown off into the sky and a sinister black cloud began seeping out of it, and outside of the tent. There, the League came face to face with Crucifer. The real Crucifer.

And, it had possessed Daken's body, and all of his abilities…

Next Chapter;

It's an all or nothing battle as the League and the Howling Commandos do everything in their power to stop Crucifer! Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	13. Chapter 13

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 13: Darkest Before Dawn 

Crucifer, now in full possession of Daken's body, glared at the two teams,

"You will now know true power."

Deadpool unsheathed his swords and shouted,  
"CHIMMICHANGAS, UNITE!"  
He boldly rushed in, but got a taste of Crucifer's power when the ancient vampire raised his hand and cast Deadpool across the dark desert sky. The insane mercenary landed head first in the sand, his swords on either side of him. He pulled himself up and shook his head, complaining,

"Hey! What gives?"

Superman tried to land a punch on Crucifer, but their foe became a gaseous black cloud and avoided the blow. Then, it tried to asphyxiate the Man of Steel by enveloping him in the cloud. Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan double teamed with their rings, blasting the cloud with their emerald energies. The blast hurt the cloud and Crucifer became solid again. Superman caught his breath and that was when Batman said,

"Hit him again. Those rings can hurt him."

Guy looked back,

"Don't tell me what to do, Bats. I got this!"  
He launched another blast of emerald energy again, this time hitting the solidified Crucifer and driving him deep into the sand.

For a moment, it looked like the League was victorious. Crisis shook his head,

"This was too easy."

Just then, the ground started to erupt and a massive wall of sand was coming at them. Fury ordered,

"Everyone, scatter now!"  
Hal and Guy tried to hold the enormous wall of sand back, but it was too much and it showered on top of some League members and Howling Commando members as well. Wonder Woman looked on,

"How can he have so much power?"  
Batman looked around,

"We have to find the heart and separate it again."

Crucifer chuckled,

"You mean THIS?"  
A grotesque display appeared before the League and the Commandos as Daken's adamantium rib cage began to protrude out and, in the center of it all, was the glowing black gem that was Crucifer's heart. Then, the ribs receded back into the body and the evil vampire laughed,

"I'd like to see you try, mortal creature."

Leon asked,

"So, does anyone else have any idea on how we should fight this guy? I'm all out."

Satana readied a fireball attack,

"I say we hit him until he falls."  
She launched the fireball, but, as it hit, Crucifer deflected it, sending it harmlessly away. Some sort of dark energy shield prevented him from taking damage. The succubus swallowed,

"O-K, that didn't work."

Farrah rolled her eyes,

"Nice one, Satana"

Crucifer then waved his hand and suddenly, the League members and the Howling Commandos were now sinking into the sand. He then said,

"You will do well to serve me as vampire lackeys, mortals. This world is meant for darkness, and there is nothing you can do about it!"  
He began chanting in an ancient language, indecipherable to many of the heroes, but, one thing could be certain by those words; it meant big trouble. A darkened sphere appeared in the center, and everyone could feel their life essences being drained.

Donna, who had been on the other side of the camp, had rushed and found what Crucifer was doing. In a fantastic display of speed and power, she rushed in and slammed a powerful blow from behind. This disrupted Crucifer's concentration and the spell disappeared. Though weakened by the attack, they were still alive.

Crucifer looked back at Troia,

"Wretched girl! You think you can defeat me!"

A dark glare entered the Amazon warrior as she stared coldly at her adversary,

"I am no mere girl. I AM A GOD!"

She raised her hand and a dazzling beam of light shot forth, sending the ancient vampire flying across the desert. Crucifer looked back up, frightened,

"You, what are you?"

He then realized in horror what he was fighting,

"No. You can't be…you just can't be!"  
In a dark flash, he disappeared.

Farrah smirked,

"Nice one, Donna."

Hal and Guy managed to dig everyone else out of the sand and Diana looked at her sister,

"Donna, you drove him away. How?"

The younger Amazon's hair was still shimmering like the starry night. She looked back and smirked,  
"He knows what I am."

Fury looked at Hippolyta,

"Any idea what she's talking about?"

The queen shook her head,

"No, I do not. To be frank, I have never seen my daughter act this way before. It is almost…unearthly."

Satana shrugged,

"Well, looks like we're done here, kiddies. Crucifer is gone and I've got a wedding to plan."

As she turned to leave, Leon grabbed her arm,  
"You're not going anywhere, not until Crucifer is dead."

The half-demon rolled her eyes,

"Oh, come on. Clearly you've got this. I mean, I can feel the power from here."

Batman went to investigate the camp and found Ra's al Ghul's body, in its bloody, decapitated state. The detective then looked at the sarcophagus that had been in the tent and began studying the inscriptions on it.

Everyone knew, somehow, this was just the opening salvo. The next time they met Crucifer, it was going to be winner take all…

Next Chapter:

As Crucifer is recovering from his wounds, questions arise about Donna's mysterious new power. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	14. Chapter 14

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Marvel or Capcom. I own Farrah/Persiana, Bast, and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 13: A Moment's Respite 

Crucifer, in possession of Daken's body, shook his head, confounded and worried at what he experienced,

"How is this possible? That girl should not have had the power to drive me off so easily! It was like…it was almost like she was a deity or something! The darkness empowered her as it does me! But, why?"  
The ancient vampire paced around, kicking up dust as he tried to figure out what was it that gave Troia so much power. He said,

"The look, the attitude, even the voice…they were all different in that night sky. Even her hair shimmered like the stars!"  
A thought suddenly occurred to him. Crucifer's eyes widened, and a horrified look appeared on his face,  
"No. It cannot be. There is no way this is possible. Rhea could not have…but…that means…"

A horrifying look appeared on his face as he said,

"Rhea did. The scheming witch!"  
He lashed out in anger at a wall, smashing it with dark energy.

A voice then tutted,

"My, my. Aren't we tempestuous today?"

Crucifer turned around and saw a man with blonde hair, wearing a sort of regal green robe, and black armor. His head was exposed, and had a soulless, evil gaze as he looked at Crucifer. The ancient vampire shook his head,  
"Go away, Neron. You will not bargain for my soul as easily as you have other mortals."

Neron laughed,

"You insult me, ancient Crucifer. I am merely here to offer you the power needed to destroy all of your enemies."

Crucifer looked back, even more agitated,

"And, what makes the Keeper of Souls think that I, a vampire god, would need your help squashing some pitiful mortals?"  
Neron laughed again,

"Oh, come now, Crucifer. You would not have come to this place if you did not believe you could defeat them. You did defeat Bast, and that was remarkable, but she has tasked someone with giving a new power to a chosen person. Then, there is Troia…"

He licked his lips,

"Rather attractive woman, I will say. Doesn't she take after Rhea?"

Crucifer raised his hand to Neron, but the king demon's eyes glowed and, in moments, the ancient vampire was on the ground, writhing in pain. Neron looked down at him,

"Pitiful, really. You truly tried to challenge that which cannot die. You are pathetic."

Crucifer then felt the power relent and Neron continued,

"But, it would not be entertaining for you to be killed by my hand. Instead, I will give you the power necessary to carry what you desire; the immediate destruction of your enemies."

Crucifer stood up and nodded,  
"Fine."

Neron added,

"Oh, and it will cost you both your soul, and the soul of the body you are possessing."

The ancient vampire shook his head,

"No price is too small. Do it."

**Meanwhile… **

Hippolyta had separated herself from the others. She was looking out at the starry night sky. The queen of the Amazons was not one to get emotional at a time like this, but, here, she was drying away a tear from her eyes. She shook her head,

"She is so different."

"Hippolyta?"

The warrior queen turned and Captain America was approaching near her. The queen looked away and tried to command a regal presence about her, but Steve said,

"I know you were crying. Is something wrong?"  
Hippolyta shook her head,

"My daughter Donna; she has changed so much."

Steve sat next to her and said,  
"She's an attractive woman. Both your daughters are."

Hippolyta sniffed a little,

"Thank you, but I fear something may happen to her."

She steadied herself again and explained,  
"My daughter Diana longed for a sister to play with, some one more her age. A sorceress cast a spell on Diana's reflection when she was little, creating that sister. Diana has no memory of this, because that girl died and I asked the sorceress to make her forget. A few years later, an abandoned baby girl was found washed ashore, and she looked so much like Diana. I named her Donna, and the two had been inseparable growing up."

She smiled a little,

"They were truly opposites. Diana was disciplined and obedient, Donna was impulsive and stubborn. But, both girls were my daughters, until Rhea came to me in a dream."

Steve asked,

"Who is Rhea?"

Hippolyta answered,  
"Rhea is Donna's mother by birth, and a Titan of the stars and the night sky. Seeing Donna the way she is acting and her powers…"

She closed her eyes, fighting back tears,

"I fear she may be becoming more like Rhea than I want her to be. She is my daughter first, Steve. I am afraid of what might happen to her."

The former Avenger placed his hand on hers,

"Don't worry. Donna is your child, and you are the only mother she knows. Plus, she has Diana with her to watch and protect her."

Hippolyta nodded,

"You are right, Steve. But, I fear that those words may ring hollow when Rhea comes and tries to claim Donna in her own perverse way."

Steve shook his head, wondering what else he could say to the queen. He had never been in the situation before, but he was going to do his best to try and make it right.

Next Chapter:

Let's take a break from the fight and tune in to see Satana's wedding! Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	15. Chapter 15

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 15: Satana's Wedding 

Satana was staring at herself in the wedding dress she had selected. While many brides would select a white dress for the big day, the red-headed half-demoness had selected one that was sure to make her the center of attention; red. And, it was not just any ordinary red, but the color of blood.

There was a lot of planning into this wedding, and, much to the sorceress' surprise, Farrah had offered to be the maid of honor for the ceremony and help Satana with her big day. Satana looked in the mirror,

"Are you sure this is a good look for me?"

Her fiery locks of hair were done in a more traditional way; instead of red and frazzled like her hair normally was, her hair was refined and her eyes flashed brilliantly. The were-cat, dressed in a more demure light blue dress, looked at her former rival,

"I don't know, I'm not the one getting married."

Satana smirked,

"I can guess the reason why you're doing this; you want to enjoy the fact that I'm getting hitched with Deadpool and not your man."

She laughed,  
"It must really burn you up that I'm getting married before you are."

The lioness had a dark look on her face as she said simply,

"I practically own Leon anyway. With him and my cubs, we're a stable family. I don't need a piece of paper to tell me he belongs to me."

She flashed her claws,

"I have my own way of marking what's mine."

Satana winced,

"Ooh, kinky. I bet he likes it."

Farrah checked the dress again,

"He's good to me. He knows never to get on my bad side."

There was a knock at the door. Farrah looked over,  
"Come in, Leon."

There was a short pause before Leon, dressed in a tuxedo, opened the door. Before he opened his mouth to answer, Farrah said,

"You're predictable. And, Satana's dress is done. Is Superman ready?"

Leon nodded silently and blinked, wondering what to make of his girlfriend's perceptive instincts. Satana blew a kiss to Leon,  
"Wish me luck!"  
She dashed for the altar. Farrah looked at her boyfriend,

"Something else is up, isn't it?"

Leon nodded,

"Yeah. I just have a feeling Damion Hellstorm is going to show up here and ruin it all. He's a pretty powerful sorcerer himself."  
The white-haired woman shook her head,  
"I wouldn't worry. He can't be this overprotective with his sister, can he?"

Leon shrugged,

"I don't know. Anyway, we had better get going. Deadpool is getting a little hard to handle."

At that precise moment, Deadpool could be heard screaming,  
"NO! I NEVER SIGNED UP FOR THIS! THIS ISN'T IN MY CONTRACT!"  
The merc-with-a-mouth marched to what he thought was a camera,

"You insane maniac! I know you're doing this for the ratings! You can't have me, Deadpool, Marvel's greatest property, get married! What makes you think that the fans would go for it? You tell me!"  
**It was either this, or Marvel was going to kill you off. **

Deadpool looked aghast,  
"Kill me off? How dare they? I single-handedly saved that company from extinction, and now, they would have the audacity to kill me off!"  
He flipped the bird to the camera,  
"You see this! This is what I think of all the head honchos at Marvel, and what I think of you, you insane author man, you! It was bad enough that I succumbed to this insanity when Squirrel Girl defeated me! I will not do so again for any reason! I will not marry Satana, I don't care how high the ratings are going to get if I did it."

**Wade, don't you ever read your contracts? **

Deadpool blinked,

"No. Why?"

**You would know about a very special clause that I have put in place that, if you do whatever insanity that I come up with, and the reviews or ratings are high enough, you get your very own story. **

Deadpool looked at the camera and nearly pulled it off,

"WHAT? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT EARLIER? NOW, I AM GOING TO MARRY SATANA, AND THEN, I'LL GET MY OWN SHOW!"  
He then marched away. Leon and Farrah both blinked in confusion and the red-eyed member of the Howling Commandos asked,

"Do you know what that was all about?"  
Farrah shook her head,

"No, and I'm the crazy one around here."

**A few minutes later… **

Deadpool, wearing a tuxedo over his costume, and still wearing the mask, was standing at the altar, waiting for his blushing bride to appear. He grumbled,

"I'm not letting anyone get the better of me and prevent me from getting my own show."

Leon looked over at Arsenal, who was standing on the groom's side. Arsenal was visibly nervous, and he had a right to be. He had no idea what Satana was capable of, and Leon knew that. He had a taste of her power and her wrath once, and it was not pleasant.

In order to accommodate such the hellish union between Deadpool and Satana, the ceremony was taking place in a gothic cathedral, where iron maidens with skeletons in them lined the outer aisles, as bats chirped a dirge of darkness. The altar was the only thing original, despite the fact that two large pillars of fire stood on either side of it. The place looked completely different from a traditional church marriage. It was not a large ceremony; many of the Howling Commandos were there, as well as Superman playing father of the bride, and Wonder Woman, Hippolyta, Zatanna, and Captain America.

The minister looked nervous as the music began to play. Leon fought to keep his eyes from rolling as he saw Superman, genuinely uncomfortable with the whole situation, escorting Satana down the aisle. Diana looked on and shook her head, whispering to her mother,

"There is no way I would ever walk down the aisle dressed like that."

Hippolyta whispered in agreement,

"I agree. It is so much better to just be naked."  
The Amazon princess looked at her mother in stunned silence as Satana passed by. Steve cleared his throat in nervousness and watched as Satana was escorted to the altar. The minister began,

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to-."

Satana yanked down on the minister's collar,

"Get on with it. I'm in heat right now."

The minister was pulled back and nodded,

"Right. Deadpool, do you take Satana to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and-?"

Deadpool saluted,

"Yes, I do, sir! I do it for chimmichangas everywhere."

The minister blinked in confusion and then went to Satana,  
"Satana, do you-?"

A dark glare came from the demoness as she said,  
"I do."

The minister then continued,

"If there be anyone that can show cause why these two should not be married-."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a red-headed man with a pentagram on his bare chest, holding a pitchfork weapon, roared,  
"SATANA, STOP THIS INSANITY AT ONCE!"  
Leon held his head,  
"Somehow, I saw this coming."

Satana shouted,  
"Damion Hellstorm, this is my life and leave me alone."

Damion looked aghast,

"But, you can't marry this…this…fool!"  
Deadpool laughed,

"Hah!"

He then realized,

"Hey, you insulted me!"  
Damion looked at Crisis,

"You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

Leon answered diplomatically,

"Well, it was sort of like this-."

Satana bluntly said,

"Yeah, he did. He got me paired up with a hot guy and I want to marry him. Get over it, Hellstorm! I am happy!"  
Damion cast a glowing evil glare at the red-eyed commando,

"YOU HAVE RUINED MY SISTER'S LIFE, FOOL!"  
Leon shot back,

"Would you have approved of her marrying me instead?"  
Damion looked at the precognitive powerhouse,

"At least you would be sane."

Satana looked on in anger,

"You mean, after all those times you claimed he tried to seduce me, you actually would have approved of him?"

Damion's lips twitched a little, saying quietly,

"Maybe."

Satana rolled her eyes,  
"Oh, yes, of course! Coming from the guy who divorced his wife because she couldn't bear the thought of being your wife!"  
Damion shot back,

"You leave Patricia out of this! She's been through a lot!"

Just then, a red-headed woman dressed in a yellow and blue cat costume acrobatically flipped into the room and stood perfectly on her hands on one of the pews. She waved,

"Hi, there!"

Leon smirked,

"Hey, Hellcat."

Hellcat giggled and then looked at Damion,

"Come on, Damion; let your sister have the man she wants. It doesn't make her all bad."

Farrah quipped,

"Wait until the kids show up. She'll give a whole new meaning to the expression 'hell on Earth'."

Damion shouted,  
"That does it!"

He grabbed Satana's arm,

"You are coming with me this instant."

Satana pulled away and slapped her brother,

"Not until I get married! I am so sick and tired of you controlling my life!"  
She slapped him, causing a stir in the crowd. Superman wanted to step in, but Leon grabbed his arm,

"Trust me, you don't want to do this."  
Damion looked at his sister and, waving his pitchfork weapon and chanting a spell, created a massive oil stain on the dress. Satana looked on in aghast and, with a burning rage, shouted,

"DIE!"  
Leon ordered,

"Everybody out, right now!"  
Ten seconds later, all but Satana and her brother were outside. Deadpool laughed,

"Wow, this has turned into an awesome wedding!"

Wonder Woman asked,

"Shouldn't we break them up?"

Damion could be seen running, panting,

"Oh, come on! You can use magic too, you know?"

He was being chased by Satana, who was carrying a flaming war axe. She swung, shouting,

"You ruined my dress, you control freak! I'm going to kill you for it!"

Farrah said,  
"I think we should wait until they tire out. It could be a while though."

The Last Son of Krypton shook his head,

"We can't let her hurt him. I'm going to stop it."

As he was making his way there, Leon sighed,

"It's not going to end pretty. I warned him."

Superman then found himself getting chased,

"Ahh! That's hot!"  
Satana shrieked,

"You don't know the half of it, buster! No one gets between me and my vengeance!"

Next Chapter:

Tigra goes on a personal quest to finish Bast's request! Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	16. Chapter 16

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana, Bast, Leon/Crisis, and Marie. _

Chapter 16: Mantle 

Tigra held Bast's amulet in her hands and watched the faint, eerie glow it gave. Despite getting such a wondrous artifact from the goddess of felines, Greer was not comfortable around it. Whatever it was, it was powerful, it seemed. The aura from the amulet was glowing again, this time seemingly brighter in a particular direction. Tigra shook her head, shrugging,

"Well, this is where I'm supposed to go."

With cat-like agility, the striped heroine moved from rooftop to rooftop. She was taking a break from other heroics to focus on this for the moment, as it seemed instinctual. Greer sniffed the city air, looking for the scent. The amulet glowed a little brighter at that moment, indicating that the person chosen to wear this was close by. Greer looked around and shook her head,

"Now, where is it? It's almost like it was right above me."

She looked up and, for a brief moment, saw something flicker in the dimly-lit city. Greer scaled the windows and got to a rooftop. There, she saw it.

A tall woman, wearing rags, was sitting on the rooftop, staring out at the city skyline. Her blonde hair was messy, but her blue eyes were crystal clear. The thing that Greer caught a glimpse of was a golden-furred cat with unkempt fur. It was obvious that it was an alley cat. The woman herself, though tall, was slightly overweight. Still, she picked up the cat and stroked it gently, seemingly oblivious to Tigra, until she turned around,

"Who's there?"

Tigra raised her hands,

"Easy, there. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm supposed to be looking for you."

The woman asked,  
"Why?"  
She studied the bikini-clad were-tigress and she noticed the amulet in the former Avenger's hand. She asked,

"What is that?"

Greer explained,  
"My name is Tigra and I had to find you. This amulet was supposed to be brought to someone that was worthy of it or something."

She did not necessarily believe it herself, but, her instincts told her that it was the truth. Greer asked,

"What's your name?"  
The woman answered,

"My name is Marie."

She shook her head,

"You mean, you're supposed to give me that? I mean, what sort of joke is this?"

Tigra shook her head,

"Not sure what it means, but, trust me, it's important. Otherwise, I wouldn't have tracked you down."

Marie had to admit; Tigra did have a point in all of that. Still, there was some reservation,

"Who sent you?"  
Tigra shook her head,  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

The amulet was glowing brighter now. The golden cat began sniffing in the air and then purred to Marie. Marie asked,

"Are you sure?"

The cat mewed a response, indicating that it was all right, or, at least, that was what Marie thought it was. Marie nodded,  
"All right, let me see it."

Tigra handed the amulet to Marie and the homeless woman put it on. The glow then subsided and Marie asked,  
"What's going on?"  
Suddenly, the amulet glowed brightly, causing both women and the cat to shield their eyes. A change began to form and, as Greer's eyes adjusted to the light, she saw it. Marie's blue eyes were wide open; a sort of surprise and rush of power and energy coming from the amulet itself. Marie could feel the change, as the rags on her body began to shed. Fur sprouted all over her body, covering bare skin with the soft material. There was a howl and, as Marie's head was tilted back, fangs began to take shape in her mouth. Marie's nails extended like claws on her hands and feet, and a tail wisped out of her backside. The fur itself was a golden color with black spots.

Then, the transformation finished and Marie was visibly calmer. She looked around and saw her body was completely covered in fur. Her clothes were gone and she asked,

"I need a mirror. What happened to me?"

Tigra said,

"It's all right. I think this was normal."  
The amulet itself had formed a collar on Marie's neck, which seemed to be the only thing keeping her from being fully nude. Marie looked around,  
"What am I going to do for clothes?"

Greer shook her head, and then said,

"I have an idea. Come on."

Tigra brought the new cat-woman to her apartment and picked something out,  
"You might want to try this on."

Marie was looking in the mirror while Greer was getting the clothes. Normally, she would have been used to her overweight self, but here, she was svelte; lithe and limber like a cheetah. She could feel her senses all heightened at once, smelling things and hearing sounds normally should not. Her eyes were now blue and cat-like too. She looked at Tigra,

"How…what happened?"

Tigra explained,  
"That amulet was made my Bast. It contained some of her power and it was meant for someone else to give the power of the cat to the one that was worthy. I guess you were worthy."

Marie twirled around and grinned,

"Yeah, I like this."

She stood high, enjoying her new bust and every inch of her body. Marie turned around and asked,

"How can I repay you?"

Tigra stated,

"Well, for starters, you can put these on."

Marie held the clothes and slipped them on. In a moment, she was wearing a black tank top and bikini bottom. The new cat-woman smiled,  
"Wow, it's amazing to have these types of clothes that make me look good. I never had anything like this when I was growing up."

Tigra asked,

"How did you get to be homeless by chance? It looks like you've lived that way for a while."

Marie shook her head,

"I'd rather not talk about it. It's personal."

Greer nodded,

"Ok."

She then said,

"I want to train you, to learn how to use your powers for good. What do you say, Marie?"  
Marie silently stared at the mirror for a moment before she said,

"Not Marie anymore…"

She turned, her eyes glowing,

"Call me…Cheetah!"

Next Chapter:

Crucifer returns for round two of the fight. Stay tuned, fellow readers!


	17. Chapter 17

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 17: Crucifer Returns 

It had been a total of two days since the first meeting with Crucifer, and the League and Howling Commandos had decided to split off and commit to their own investigations. Of course, when the League returned to the Howling Commandos base, they found it was totally vacant. Even Farrah's children were nowhere to be found. They had moved on.

Batman was already investigating the base itself for any clue as to where they may have gone. J'onn was running telepathic scans, to confirm that everyone had left,  
"I do not sense them, Batman. There is only us here."

Guy Gardner cracked his knuckles,  
"Bastard probably knew I was coming and ran away. Punk coward; Crisis is going down!"

Booster looked around,

"So, is this ours or what?"

J'onn said,

"It would appear so, for the moment. I can see why Fury wanted to move; the base had been compromised after Daken's arrival and the theft of Crucifer's heart."

The Dark Knight Detective looked around again and was using a device to scan the computer logs. He shook his head,

"They even managed to wipe the footage and security logs. There isn't anything on these servers."

Steve said,

"Fury knew how to cover his tracks. That's why he's been head of SHIELD for so long. He could do this."

Barry Allen asked,

"So, are we giving up?"

Batman shook his head,

"No, just regrouping and thinking."

A voice cackled,

"Well, don't think too long."

The shadows suddenly came alive and the darkness began to take solid mass as that hauntingly familiar voice became more present. Superman narrowed his eyes,

"Crucifer."

Crucifer emerged, still in Daken's body. Now, he was dressed in all black, and his mouth widened to inhuman proportions, showing off extra rows of teeth. Booster quipped,

"I do not even want to know what his dentist bill is like."

Crucifer launched a massive dark energy attack at the League members. Superman took the brunt of it and was sent flying through several walls of the base. Wonder Woman used her lasso and tried to ensnare Crucifer, but, somehow, the attack passed right through him. Crucifer then waved it away, ensnaring Wonder Woman in her own lasso. Batman tried to launch some gas pellets, but Crucifer chuckled,

"You think that is going to work! I have no weaknesses now!"

He inhaled the gas and spewed it at Booster and Blue Beetle. Ted groaned,

"Garlic!"  
Booster wheezed a little and almost vomited,

"Ah, that's stuff's terrible!"  
Barry Allen and Hal Jordan tried to hit Crucifer hard and almost got within striking distance when Crucifer seemingly turned into a cluster of bats and then reformed away from the attack. Crucifer laughed,

"Oh, come on now! I made a deal with the dealer of souls Neron! There isn't anything you can do to stop me!"

He raised his hand and enveloped all the League members in some sort of choking shadow cloud. The shadow was totally ensnaring them and was suffocating them.

Superman was thrown far away from the others. He had gotten up slowly and, as he was about to go and help his friends, he noticed something. The Man of Steel knelt down and, wrapped in cloth, was a cross made of pure silver. He held it tightly and knew what this meant. Superman then flew hard at Crucifer and delivered a super strong punch.

The punch connected in Crucifer's chest and the master vampire screamed in agony,

"WHAT IS THIS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HURT ME?"

He tried to wrap his shadows around the Last Son of Krypton, but, as they came closer, they seemed to back away. Crucifer was perplexed as to this new development,

"What? But, how is that possible? I am a vampire god!"

Superman showed him the cross,

"You are invulnerable, Crucifer. With this. This represents the power of faith and hope."

Crucifer shook his head, frantic,

"But, it is only a cross! It has no power!"  
Superman shook his head,

"It does, if one has faith and hope in that it will work."

Another punch was felt, and another, and another. Crucifer was weakening because of that cross. He desperately tried to get it away from Superman, but, he could not. As the ancient vampire clutched it, he began to burn.

Zatanna got loose, enough to cast a powerful spell,

"NUS EHT OT OG!"  
And, in a moment, Crucifer's body was teleported away to that of the heart of the sun. And there, he was incinerated to a crisp. Both Crucifer and Daken were dead.

Superman looked at the magician,

"You sent him into the sun?"

Zatanna shrugged,

"What? Vampires don't like sunlight."

She then noticed the cross,

"I didn't know you brought that along."

Clark shook his head,

"I didn't. It was here."

Then, a transmission came on. It was an audio recording with Fury's voice on it,

"If the League is listening to this, you've probably already beaten Crucifer by now. Congratulations."  
Steve sighed,

"Nick."

The message continued,

"This message was hidden in a data packet on the cross itself. In it is the location of the remaining canisters of nerve gas we confiscated, as well as files on the Red Skull and something called Axis America that he created in Kasnia. If I were you, I'd look into it. Oh, and, one more thing, having a precog comes in handy when you know you're base is going to be attacked. Fury out."

Superman looked at the cross and, using his X-ray vision, he saw, through the silver casing, a small microchip. The microchip containing the information…

Next Chapter:

Though Crucifer is dead, things are not settled between the League and the Howling Commandos. But, for now, they are in the wind. Stay tuned for an epilogue and foreshadowing of things to come.


	18. Chapter 18

**Immortal Undeath **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. I own Farrah/Persiana and Leon/Crisis. _

Chapter 18: Epilogue 

Lucy Lane, a brown-haired young woman, was General Sam Lane's younger daughter and sister to the reporter Lois Lane. Unlike her older sibling, Lucy had developed many of her father's impressions and political beliefs, and followed his path in becoming a soldier for her country. News of his death had struck both the Lane sisters hard, but Lucy was taking it worse. She believed in all meta-humans, good or bad, have to be controlled by the government, registered as soldiers, or as weapons of mass destruction.

Lucy had already buried her father, and news of Crucifer's defeat at the hands of the Justice League was welcome, but she was apprehensive. Her father had distrusted aliens, including Superman, but, as his last work was trying to uncover something about the Howling Commandos and their leader Crisis. Lucy had managed to copy some of the interrogation footage and the file that was currently on the red-eyed powerhouse. Even without his powers, Lucy noted that he was hard to break. Hard to read, too. The sickening punches only seemed to encourage him, as Leon held off blow after blow from talking. Drugging him did not seem to work either, no matter what concoction was mixed into his veins. Lucy said out loud,

"What type of freak is he?"

A voice suddenly responded,

"Someone willing to die for what they believe in."

Lucy spun around and saw the one-eyed man Nick Fury. He had some stubble on his face as he looked at her deadpanned, saying,

"Hello, Lane."

Lucy tried to reach for something, but the all-too familiar click of a gun in Fury's hand prevented her from taking another motion. Fury shook his head,

"I don't want to turn this into an armed home invasion."

Lucy spat,

"What do you want?"

Her glare could cut steel in half, but Fury was seemingly unaffected by it as he said,

"To talk."

He motioned to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of hard alcohol,

"Care for a drink?"  
Lucy rolled her eyes,

"Do I have a choice?"  
Fury shrugged,

"If you want to be a teetotaler, be my guest."

He poured some of the hard alcohol into the glass, just enough to immerse the bottom, and put it away. He took a sip and smirked,

"Forty-year old scotch. Your father had good tastes."  
Lucy rubbed her arms, very uncomfortable with the situation,

"Why are you here?"

Fury explained,

"Simple. I'm here to tell you you've got it all wrong."

Lucy shook her head,

"And, what would I have wrong, Mr…"

Fury said,

"I'm the real leader of the team. Name's Fury."

Lucy nodded,

"All right, Mr. Fury. Let's say I have it all wrong. Are you here on behalf of the Howling Commandos to tell me to stop hunting you? Or, has the Justice League decided to use you in some sort of sick black ops game?"

Fury chuckled,

"The League and our group aren't affiliated. And, as for hunting us…your father tried that and it ended up costing him his life."

Lucy's face formed a dark scorn,

"Don't talk about my father like that. He was a good man. He was trying to stop you."

Fury said,  
"I fail to see how murdering hundreds of innocent people aboard what should have been the most secure facility ever devised proves anything except for making the world show the League is weak and can't take care of its own security."

Lucy replied coldly,

"Those people died the minute they decided to betray this country and work for them."

Fury took another swig and quipped,

"I was right. You are your father's daughter."

Lucy, enraged at that, tried to assault Fury, but the former head of SHIELD spun her around and pinned her to the floor. Lucy struggled to escape, but she was locked tight in the hold. Fury said,

"I'm going to say something. It could sound like a threat or a warning or a plea. Make of it what you will, but know this; if you go down this path you're going on; the life you know is going to be over if we have anything to say about it. Do I make myself clear?"

Lucy spat,

"You people still have nerve gas and murdered my father! I won't ever stop hunting you!"  
Then, she felt herself get released and, as she spun around, Fury was gone. Lucy wiped her mouth and stared at the darkness for a moment. She cursed herself,

"If I was only as strong as Superman, then I would make sure the world would be safe from people like the Howling Commandos and…"

She then paused in thought and a sickening idea began to form in her mind. She chuckled at first, then, it became an increasing louder laugh, and then, it became maniacal. Whatever it was, it was going to be big…

End of Immortal Undeath


End file.
